June 7, 2013 AT 2:00 am

Making parallel computing easy to use has been described as “a problem as hard as any that computer science has faced”. With such a big challenge ahead we need to make sure as many people as possible have access to open parallel hardware and development tools.

Inspired by great hardware communities like Raspberry Pi and Arduino, we also see a critical need for a truly open, high-performance computing platform that will enable us to close the knowledge gap in parallel programming.

The goal of the Parallella project is to democratize access to parallel computing through providing an affordable open hardware platform and open source tools, and supporting learning and the development of software which is able to harness the power of parallel systems.

Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, or even use Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for MakeCode, CircuitPython, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.